Cleveland--The February 26 Cleveland
State University debate between Democratic
presidential candidates Barack Obama and Hillary
Clinton brought up an incident of importance
to LGBT voters.

In the final segment, moderator Tim Russert
of NBC asked Obama if he accepts the support
of Nation of Islam minister Louis Farrakhan.

Farrakhan spent two hours praising Obama
last Sunday during his keynote address at
the Nation of Islam annual Saviours’ Day Celebration
in Chicago.

Farrakhan compared him to the religion’s
founder, Fard Muhammad, who also had a white
mother and black father.

Though mostly known now for organizing the
1995 Million Man March and promoting tolerance
among religions, Farrakhan is a lightning
rod, particularly for his earlier anti-Semitic
rants and anti-gay statements.

Obama and his spokespeople have maintained
that the candidate has not solicited Farrakhan’s
endorsement or help.

Pressed by both Russert and Clinton, on the
semantic differences between “rejecting” and
“denouncing” Farrakhan, Obama defended his
commitment to the Jewish community and said
that he both “rejected” and “denounced” Farrakhan’s
remarks and anything that might look like
an endorsement.

Obama, however, has not unequivocally denounced
“ex-gay” gospel singer Donnie McClurkin, who
the campaign brought in to perform at “Embrace
the Change” concerts last October.

McClurkin claims to be fighting a “war” against
“the curse of homosexuality.” At the Columbia,
S.C., concert, he told the crowd, “I don’t
speak against the homosexuals. I tell you
that God delivered me from homosexuality.”

After being criticized for having McClurkin
speak, Obama released an open letter to the
LGBT community in November saying, “McClurkin
is a talented performer and a beloved figure
among many African Americans and Christians
around the country. At the same time, he espouses
beliefs about homosexuality that I completely
reject.”

Obama said, “These events have provided an
important opportunity for us to confront a
difficult fact: There are good, decent, moral
people in this country who do not yet embrace
their gay brothers and sisters as full members
of our shared community.”

Following the debate, three high ranking
Obama campaign officials, Ohio communications
director Ben Labolt, strategist David Axelrod,
and national communications director Robert
Gibbs, were asked about the difference between
Farrakhan and McClurkin.

All three pointed to Obama’s Martin Luther
King Day speech at Ebenezer Baptist Church
in Atlanta, where he called on black Americans
to work against homophobia.

“For most of this country’s history, we in
the African-American community have been at
the receiving end of man’s inhumanity to man,”
Obama said. “And yet, if we are honest with
ourselves, we must admit that none of our
hands are entirely clean. We have scorned
our gay brothers and sisters instead of embracing
them.”

“That’s the answer. That’s all,” said Labolt,
walking away.

Axelrod insisted that the question mischaracterized
the events.

“Obama has been highly critical of McClurkin,”
Axelrod said.

“I believe that Senator Obama spoke out against
the hateful views of both Donnie McClurkin
and Louis Farrakhan,” Gibbs said.